[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S18013-S18014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR AL SIMPSON

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, finally Saturday night another of our 
colleagues announced his retirement.
  Mr. President, 40 years ago, then-Senator John Kennedy wrote a best-
selling book called ``Profiles in Courage.'' It consisted of 
biographies of a number of U.S. Senators who took courageous positions 
in their time.
  If a similar book was written today, I have no doubt that it would 
include a biography of our colleague, Senator Alan Simpson.
  As my colleagues know, Senator Simpson returned to his home town of 
Cody, WY, this weekend to announce that he would not be a candidate for 
a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
  Again, I had the pleasure of watching about 45 minutes of his 
retirement speech to the Cody Chamber of Commerce on C-SPAN.
  In his announcement, however, Senator Simpson left no doubt that his 
final year in the Senate would be no different from the first 17--from 
immigration to entitlement reform, he will continue to courageously 
tackle the toughest and most controversial of issues, calling them as 
he sees them, and letting the cards fall where they may.
  Al Simpson is a man of strong opinions, but he also is someone who 
knows 

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how to count votes and how to get things done. As Republican whip for 
10 years, Al was a trusted member of our leadership team.
  He made being Republican leader a much easier job--and all Senators 
will attest to the fact that with his unique sense of humor, Al has 
made serving in the Senate much more enjoyable.
  Senator Simpson has served in Washington for 17 years, and although 
he and his wife, Ann, have devoted themselves to many cultural and 
charitable causes here in the Nation's capital. Al Simpson never forgot 
that Wyoming was home.
  The great Alf Landon once said that ``there are some intelligent 
people in Washington. But there are more of them in Kansas.'' Al 
Simpson never forgot that there are also more of them in Wyoming, and 
he has never tired of fighting for returning power to where it 
belongs--to the people of Wyoming and our other 49 States.
  I have long thought that Al embodies the ``American spirit'' that 
many Americans associate with Wyoming and with the American cowboy. He 
is honest, independent, and judges people not by money or position--but 
by character.
  Al's father also represented Wyoming here in this Chamber. And when 
Milward Simpson passed away in 1993, Al delivered a very moving eulogy 
on the Senate floor.
  I re-read that eulogy the other day, and it struck me that the words 
spoken about a father, could also be applied to the son.
  Al Simpson said:

       My father was a man who did not just take little 
     philosophies and paste them on the wall and then ignore them 
     and yet say, ``I live by that.'' No, he did live by those 
     things that he told us . . . . and one of those things he 
     told us was ``I cannot tell you how to succeed, but I can 
     sure tell you how to fail--and that is to try and please 
     everybody.''

  Mr. President, Al Simpson is retiring from the Senate, but he is not 
retiring from life. He will continue to make a difference. He will 
continue to live by his philosophies. And he will continue to succeed, 
because no matter what, Al Simpson won't try to please everybody--and 
Wyoming and America would want it no other way.

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